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50 Ways to Streamline Your Life

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Hey there! I'm Jessica. I think that motherhood should be savored, like a good piece of chocolate. But sometimes it feels like more duty than delight. Am I right? I'm working to change that. Read more about me here and this blog here.

Do you have systems in place to help your life as Mom? Or do you end up spinning your wheels, making things harder on yourself than you really need to? Check out these 50 Ways to Streamline Your Life.*

Having a plan for your days is key to getting things done, but part and parcel with planning is having systems and routines in place that are quick and efficient. These don’t have to be rocket science, just small things that you can do to make your every day a little bit easier.

How do you streamline or simplify your tasks so that they take less time?

I’m going to endeavor to present 50 ways that you can do just that.

50 Ways to Streamline Your Life

1. Have a plan.

Figure out what you need to do in any given day, week, or month, so that these things don’t slip your mind. It’s all too easy to get distracted, so keep track of all the things on your plate.

It’s helpful for me to write these out the night before. The mornings can get crazy before I know it, making it hard for me to think straight.

2. Start your morning in a peaceful way.

While the house is still quiet, make a hot cup of tea or coffee, turn on your favorite music, read Scripture, pray, watch the sunrise. Refresh your spirit, even if it’s for a few minutes. Then, tackle that list.

4. Simplify your wardrobe.

The fewer clothes you have, the less you need to keep track of. Maintain classic pieces that mix and match so that you always look polished. Consider a mix and match wardrobe so that you have a better chance of coordinating. In fact, I go so far as setting up a capsule wardrobe so I know everything goes with everything else and I don’t have so many choices that I’m overwhelmed.

Check out these tips on building a core wardrobe on a budget. Great concept! Set yourself up to look good without a lot of fuss. It will save you time and you’ll feel good about your appearance.

5. Develop a laundry system that works for you.

Are you a once-a-week wash and fold kind of girl or would you rather do a load a day? Experiment with different schedules until you find one that works. Then stay on top of it.

7. Carpool.

If you know that friends or neighbors are going the same place as your kids, talk with them about setting up a carpool. Not only will you save on fuel and money, but you’ll save some precious minutes getting other things checked off your list. Just don’t be a mooch, make sure you do your share of driving duty.

Comments

I love these tips. I am trying hard to work on #2. Ideally, I like to get up at least 45 minutes before the kids, but lately their waking schedules have been so random that it's hard to predict. I feel so much better when I get up and get ready right away and have a little me time.

I have to figure out #5 because what I'm doing now isn't working. I don't mind doing the laundry, but putting it away is so much work. I think I may have to switch to doing 1 load every other day isntead of all in one day to spread it out.

I just got myself a nice planner so I can write my home & blogging to-do lists daily and stay on track.

These are great tips! I find that doing things the night before doesn’t work for me… I’m pretty useless in the evenings/nights. I AM, however, extremely productive in the early mornings… so I often have all my lunch, dinner, and baking prep done before the clock hits 6:30am… It’s all a matter of finding that time of day that helps you maximize what you can accomplish!

Thanks for the tips! I have two toddlers and am always looking for ways to streamline.

I keep a broom vac in my kitchen to use after every meal to keep the crumbs from making it all over the house. I also use the dish cloth I use to wipe my kids’ faces to wipe up the floor (if it isn’t covered!) after meals to make mopping the floor less of a chore when I get to it. 🙂

I also chop my veggies when I get them and put them in the freezer so that I am not chopping them at mealtime. I chop my onions, peppers, celery, and carrots. (I flash freeze the onions on a cookie sheet before I put them all together so that they aren’t in one big ball when I go to use them.) When I need them in a recipe I just throw in a handful.

Great tips! I think going back to the way our grandmothers did things has worked for me. Laundry on one, iron on another, dust/clean on another, and so forth. That has worked the best for me. Laundry is a chore I honestly do not like, but it’s much better for me to get it all done in one day than to dread it for more than one. Find what words for you and do it. Don’t feel guilty or bogged done by a method that doesn’t work for you. One thing I am aiming toward is getting everything done in five days so that I can just enjoy Saturday and worship/rest on Sunday. Still working on that one…=)

Thank you for this post today! I see that it’s an oldie but just what I needed! It’s pouring rain, I ran out of coffee, the kids are sick, and my to do list is super long…..except I haven’t even written it yet, because I’m too busy perusing my fav blogs. Ha! thanks for a little motivation to get moving

I love this! I am all about streamlining. When I feel chaotic, I get cranky!! And a cranky momma is just not what I’m striving to be! So I love any kind of tips that make my life a little more orderly. The hardest one on this list for me is #3. I know how important it is – I am always SO happy in the morning when I’ve prepared well the night before. It’s just summoning up the motivation and energy at the end of the night when I am so tired that’s the problem! Discipline … that’s what it comes down to! We don’t like building it, but we love the results!
Thank you for all you do for your fellow mommas!

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